Tesla Model 3 is finally arriving in Texas — sort of

The waiting game is almost over for Texans who plopped down their $1,000 deposits to reserve a Tesla Model 3, which is billed as an affordable version of the all-electric luxury vehicle.

Almost, but not quite.

Tesla has repeatedly pushed back its delivery of the vehicles, as production at the Fremont, Calif. assembly plant has moved much slower than expected. Many deposit-paying customers (obviously a loyal group of early adapters!) have been waiting for their cars for more than a year.

However, anyone who wants to take a peek at this vehicle, which has been widely praised, are encouraged to stop by Tesla’s showroom anytime beginning Friday in Southlake. There, a display version of the Model 3 will be available all day for anyone who wants to sit in it and (proverbially) kick the tires.

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Doors open at 10 a.m. the Tesla showroom at 257 Grand Avenue in Southlake. The car will remain on display indefinitely, for those who can’t make it Friday, a company spokeswoman said.

Tesla Model 3 can be opened with a phone app.

Tesla

The Model 3 doesn’t have all the frills of Tesla’s other models, some of which top $100,000. But, with a base price of $35,000, the Model 3 does have many snazzy features, including the company’s trademark touch screen dash display, high visibility through the windshield and all windows and a driving range of 310 miles between battery charges.

Nationwide, more than 450,000 orders for the Model 3 have been received, company officials say.

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk says the company’s new goal is to deliver to its customers 2,500 vehicles per month by March, and about 5,000 per month by June. The company has built these cars slower than originally projected, as some unexpected difficulties in production have been worked out.